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ŭg′lē dŭk′lĭng
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Received-Pronunciation:
/ˈʌɡ.liː ˌdʌk.lɪŋ/
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Canada, General-American, Scotland:
/ˈʌɡ.li ˌdʌk.lɪŋ/
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Australian:
/ˈɐɡ.liː ˌdɐk.lɪŋ/
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Australia:
Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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New-Zealand:
/ˈɐɡ.liː ˌdɐk.ləŋ/
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A young person who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see ugly, duckling.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
an ugly or unpromising child who grows into a beautiful or worthy person
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: anomaly, unusual person
Calque of Danish grim ælling. From the fairy tale of a duckling, considered ugly, that matures into a magnificent swan.
Across languages
Translations 40 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Amharic :
አስቀያሚ ሲንድሬላ
(ʾäsḳäyami sindərela)
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Arabic :
بَطَّة قَبِيحَة
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Belarusian :
бры́дкае качаня́
(brýdkaje kačanjá)
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Bulgarian :
гро́зно па́тенце
(grózno pátence)
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Bulgarian :
гро́зно пате́нце
(grózno paténce)
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Catalan :
aneguet lleig
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Catalan :
anegueta lletja
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Chinese Mandarin :
醜小鴨 /丑小鸭
(chǒuxiǎoyā)
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Czech :
ošklivé káčátko
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Danish :
grim ælling
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Dutch :
lelijk eendje
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Esperanto :
malbela anasido
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Esperanto :
malbelaj anasidoj
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Estonian :
inetu pardipoeg
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Faroese :
mishátti dunnuungin
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Faroese :
ljóti dunnuungin
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Finnish :
ruma ankanpoikanen
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
French :
vilain petit canard
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
German :
hässliches Entlein
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Greek :
ασχημόπαπο
(aschimópapo)
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Icelandic :
Ijóti andarunginn
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Indonesian :
itik buruk rupa
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Italian :
brutto anatroccolo
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Italian :
brutta anatrocolla
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Japanese :
みにくいアヒルの子
(minikui ahiru no ko)
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Korean :
미운 오리 새끼
(miun ori saekki)
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Macedonian :
грдо пајче
(grdo pajče)
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Norwegian :
stygg andunge
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Polish :
brzydkie kaczątko
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Portuguese :
patinho feio
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Portuguese :
patinha feia
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Romanian :
rățușca cea urâtă
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Russian :
га́дкий утёнок
(gádkij utjónok)
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Slovak :
škaredé kačiatko
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Slovene :
grdi raček
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Spanish :
patito feo
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Spanish :
patita fea
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Swedish :
ful ankunge
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Turkish :
çirkin ördek yavrusu
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
Ukrainian :
гидке́ каченя́
(hydké kačenjá)
— one who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature
